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| United States Patent
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5,630,744 |
| Bandy |
May 20, 1997 |
Toy gun with blowing-operated noisemaker
Abstract
This invention provides blowing-operated noisemakers to toy guns
of the type which are sized to be graspable by one or two hands and
which are pointable by the user. Toy gun devices are provided in
which user-blown air may be routed from a mouthpiece to a
gun-mounted noisemaker by way of a hollow pipe or hose. Variable
noises may be made by the user by controlling the blown air, as by
using a rotary whistle. The sounds emanating from the toy gun are
emitted in the direction in which the toy gun is pointed.
| Inventors: |
Bandy; Leon D. (Phoenix,
AZ) |
| Appl. No.:
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08/522,510 |
| Filed: |
September 1, 1995 |
| Current U.S.
Class: |
446/202 ;
446/204; 446/405; 446/81 |
| Current
International Class: |
A63H
5/00 (20060101); A63H 005/00 () |
| Field of
Search: |
446/81,397,404,405,202-209 D21/64 116/137R,147 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent
Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
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|
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476124 |
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Aug., 1951 |
|
CA |
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9311842 |
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Jun., 1993 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Hafer; Robert A.
Assistant Examiner: Carlson; Jeffrey D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Stoneman; Martin L.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A device comprising, in combination:
a. a toy gun having a longitudinal pointable direction and having a
rigid frame, said frame comprising at least three discrete, spaced,
substantial frame portions, each said substantial frame portion
lying along a different straight line from each other substantial
frame portion and each said straight line being parallel to said
longitudinal pointable direction, whereby said toy gun is graspable
and pointable by a user;
b. at least one said substantial frame portion comprising a straight
hollow cylinder;
c. a blowing-operated noisemaker attached within said straight
hollow cylinder;
d. a mouthpiece portion positioned to be blown into by a user; and
e. a hollow cylindrical member attached at a first end of said
hollow cylindrical member to said mouthpiece portion and attached at
a second end of said hollow cylindrical member to said
blowing-operated noisemaker;
f. whereby, when a user blows into said mouthpiece portion, said
blowing-operated noisemaker makes sounds;
g. wherein said toy is constructed and arranged so that, when said
mouthpiece portion is blown into by a user, said sounds are emitted
from said blowing-operated noisemaker in said longitudinal pointable
direction.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to providing blowing-operated noisemakers to
toy guns of the type which are sized to be graspable by one or two
hands and which are pointable by the user. More particularly, this
invention concerns toy gun devices which provide a system whereby
user-blown air may be routed to the noisemaker.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, air-blowing-operated noisemakers of various kinds
are well known. And they have been used for entertainment purposes
in connection with various toys, for example: coiled pneumatic tubes
which are blown to be uncoiled and make sounds (see U.S. Pat. No.
530,909 to Stone); sounding toys wherein a tube is blown into by
either of two users and a sound made by the oral cavity of the other
(see U.S. Pat. No. 1,526,030 to Ward); toy whistles where the sound
is variable by moving a plunger in a cylinder (see U.S. Pat. No.
2,006,274 to Kushner); toy whistles in connection with water-spray
discharges (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,851,270 to Ball); and various
musical toys (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,348 to Taylor et
al).
Toy guns, however, even when including noisemakers, have typically
utilized different forms of noisemakers, primarily those which
imitate the crack of gunfire.
In this day and age of futuristic fantasies involving pointable
weapons, in movies, books, and television, there exists an
entertainment need for toy guns for youthful consumers. These toy
guns should have unusual sounds for guns, should have variable
sounds for guns, and should have sounds which otherwise enhance the
ideas of different worlds with different weapons.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to fulfill the
above-mentioned entertainment need by the provision of such toy guns
which provide unusual sounds and variable sounds. A further primary
object of the present invention is to provide such toy guns in which
such variable sounds are under the instant control of the user. In
addition, it is a primary object of this invention to provide such
toy guns which point such unusual sounds in the direction in which
the user is pointing the toy gun. Other objects of this invention
will become apparent with reference to the following invention
descriptions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there
is provided a device comprising, in combination, a toy gun having a
frame which is graspable and pointable by a user, a blowing-operated
noisemaker attached to such frame, a mouthpiece portion positioned
to be blown into by such user, and a hollow cylindrical member
attached at a first end of such hollow cylindrical member to such
mouthpiece portion and attached at a second end of such hollow
cylindrical member to such blowing-operated noisemaker, whereby,
when such user blows into such mouthpiece portion, such
blowing-operated noisemaker makes sounds. Also provided in this
preferred embodiment is such a device wherein such toy gun is
constructed and arranged so that, when such mouthpiece portion is
blown into by such user, such sounds are emitted from such
blowing-operated noisemaker in the direction in which such toy gun
is pointed.
Additionally, this invention provides such a device wherein such
hollow cylindrical member comprises a flexible plastic hose. Further
provided in accordance with this invention is such a device wherein
such blowing-operated noisemaker comprises a noisemaker of the type
where such sounds are easily varied with the strength of such
blowing by such user. Yet further, this invention provides such a
device wherein such blowing-operated noisemaker comprises a rotary
whistle. Even further, there is provided such a device wherein a
straight hollow cylinder attached to such frame contains such
blowing-operated noisemaker; and, further, wherein such straight
hollow cylinder is positioned substantially in the direction in
which such toy gun is pointed (whereby, when such mouthpiece portion
is blown into by such user, such sounds are emitted from such
blowing-operated noisemaker in the direction in which such toy gun
is pointed).
Yet additionally, according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, there is provided a device comprising, in combination, a
toy gun having a frame which is graspable and pointable by a user
and having a user end and a pointable end, a hollow cylindrical
member having a first end and a second end, a blowing-operated
noisemaker at such second end of such hollow cylindrical member, and
a mouthpiece portion at such first end of such hollow cylindrical
member, whereby, when such user blows into such mouthpiece portion,
such blowing-operated noisemaker makes sounds. Also provided is such
device wherein such mouthpiece portion is adjacent such user end of
such toy gun. Even further provided by this invention is such device
wherein such blowing-operated noisemaker comprises a noisemaker of
the type where such sounds are easily varied with the strength of
such blowing by such user. Additionally, this invention provides,
according to this preferred embodiment, such device wherein such toy
gun is constructed and arranged so that, when such mouthpiece
portion is blown into by such user, such sounds are emitted from
such blowing-operated noisemaker in the direction in which such toy
gun is pointed.
Yet further, according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, there is provided a device comprising, in combination, a
toy gun having a frame which is graspable and pointable by a user
and having a user end and a pointable end, an air-blowing-operated
noisemaker attached to such toy gun, and a mouthpiece portion
positioned adjacent such user end of such toy gun, such device being
constructed and arranged so that, when such user blows into such
mouthpiece portion, such air-blowing-operated noisemaker makes
sounds. Additionally provided is such device wherein such device is
constructed and arranged so that, when such mouthpiece portion is
blown into by such user, such sounds are emitted from such
air-blowing-operated noisemaker in the direction in which such toy
gun is pointed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates pictorially the use of a preferred embodiment of
a toy gun according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the present
invention of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an exploded view, in perspective, of the parts of the
present invention involved in the blowing-operated noisemaking.
FIG. 4 is an expanded view of the noisemaker portion of the present
invention, partially in section, through the section 4-4 of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT AND THE BEST MODE OF
PRACTICE
FIG. 1 illustrates pictorially the use of a preferred embodiment of
a toy gun according to the present invention. The toy gun 11 (having
a user end 11a and a pointable end 11b) is shown being grasped by a
child 12, the toy gun user, who is using both hands 13 to grasp toy
gun 11. The child 12 is shown pointing the toy gun 11 in the
direction of arrow 14. The lips 15 of the child 12 are shown around
mouthpiece portion or mouthpiece 16 (located near the user end 11a
of toy gun 11), into which mouthpiece 16 the child may blow air. Any
such blown air will be routed through hollow cylindrical member 17
to straight hollow cylinder 18, which contains therein
blowing-operated noisemaker 19 (not visible in FIG. 1).
Straight hollow cylinder 18 is attached to the frame 20 of toy gun
11 and is pointed in the same direction 14 as the various
longitudinal toy gun parts 21 which tell child 12 in which direction
the toy gun 11 is pointed. Blowing-operated noisemaker 19 is mounted
within straight hollow cylinder 18 and in line with straight hollow
cylinder 18 so that the sounds emitted from blowing-operated
noisemaker 19 are emitted in the direction 14 in which toy gun 11 is
pointed.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the present
invention of FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is an exploded view, in perspective,
of the parts of the present invention involved in the
blowing-operated noisemaking. FIGS. 2 and 3 show more completely the
entire mouthpiece 16 into which, according to the present invention,
air may be blown. The front end 22 of mouthpiece portion or
mouthpiece 16 is blown into by the child 12 in order to operate the
present invention. The rear end 23 of mouthpiece 16 fits snugly over
the front end 24 of hollow cylindrical member 17, thus providing a
sealed path for blown air into hollow cylindrical member 17. The
rear end 25 of hollow cylindrical member 17 fits snugly into the
front end 26 of fitting 27, thus providing a sealed path for blown
air into fitting 27.
As shown, fitting 27 fits snugly into straight hollow cylinder 18,
thus providing a sealed path for blown air into straight hollow
cylinder 18. As shown, blowing-operated noisemaker 19 is mounted
within and adjacent to the rear end 28 of straight hollow cylinder
18 in such manner that air blown into blowing-operated noisemaker 19
from fitting 27 operates blowing-operated noisemaker 19 to emit
noise out the rear end 28 of straight hollow cylinder 18 in the
direction 1 in which the toy gun 11 is pointed. As shown, straight
hollow cylinder 18 is securely mounted to frame 20 at mounting areas
29, so as to be in line with longitudinal toy gun parts 21 in
direction 14.
All of the parts of toy gun 11 are preferably made of rigid plastic
materials in well-known ways, excepting for hollow cylindrical
member 17, which in a first preferred embodiment (see FIG. 1) is
preferably made of a flexible plastic hose material in well-known
ways and is connected to toy gun 11, as shown in FIG. 1, by elastic
band 30 close enough to mouthpiece 16 to provide a relatively stable
location for mouthpiece 16 for ease of use. Alternatively, in a
second preferred embodiment, hollow cylindrical member 17 is
preferably made of a rigid plastic pipe material in well-known ways
and, if made so rigid, in addition to its connection to fitting 27,
hollow cylindrical member 17 may for added stability be wedged
within (see FIG. 2) or otherwise attached to frame 20 of toy gun
FIG. 4 is an expanded view of the noisemaker portion of the present
invention, partially in section, through the section 4--4 of FIG. 2.
The blowing-operated noisemaker 9, according to the preferred
illustrated embodiment of applicant's invention, is preferably made
of rotary whistle 31 in well-known ways. As shown in FIG . 4,
looking through the section 4--4 of FIG. 2 at the sound-emitting end
of rotary whistle 31, rotary whistle 31 is mounted within straight
hollow cylinder 18 near the rear end 28 of straight hollow cylinder
18. Rotary whistle 31, as shown, fills the internal diameter of
straight hollow cylinder 18 so that, in using the toy gun 11, all of
the air blown by the child 12 into the mouthpiece 16 will pass
through the rotary blades 32 of the rotary whistle 31, thus turning
rotary blades 32 and making a whistling sound in well-known ways.
The pitch and loudness of rotary whistle 31 may be varied by the
child 12 using the toy gun 11 by controlling the stream of air blown
into mouthpiece 16, thus providing greater entertainment value in
well-known ways.
Thus, in using the preferred embodiment of the toy gun 11 of the
present invention, a user like child 12 may engage in fantasy play
by pointing the toy gun 11 and, when the child 2 wishes, by grasping
the mouthpiece 16 with the child's lips 15 and, by blowing a
controlled stream of air, make widely varying whistling sounds to
accompany the fantasy use of toy gun 11. In accordance with the
present invention, such use of toy gun 11 provides much quality
entertainment to the user of toy gun 1 in futuristic fantasy play.
Although applicant has described applicant's preferred embodiments
of this invention, it will be understood that the broadest scope of
this invention includes such modifications as diverse shapes and
sizes and materials. Such scope is limited only by the below claims
as read in connection with the above specification.
Further, many other advantages of applicant's invention will be
apparent to those skilled in the art from the above descriptions and
the below claims.
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